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Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Cinder, RIP

Cinder, about 50 pounds and four years old


Patiently, Cinder allowed the boys to dress him. He has also been known to model T shirts and socks.


Here's Cinder in his younger, leaner days -- about 25 pounds and six months old.
With a bit more weight on him, he still sits up and begs -- as long as food is his reward.
Logan loves dogs and blankets for cuddling.


Jealously guarding one of his favorite toys -- he finally unstuffed it and it got tossed out -- he wasn't know for taking very good care of his things, or my things either. Hence, the nickname Chainsaw.

Today is a very sad day in our home. I had Cinder euthanized this morning. It was a terrible decision, one I have struggled with for years. When he bit my hand this morning, drawing blood, he crossed over the line. We struggled over a cereal box liner which he wanted to eat and chew up. When I tried to take it from him, he bit me and there was nothing I could safely do to wrest it from him. I simply cannot risk owning a dog that would bit the hand that feeds him.

Cinder has given us tons of joy and love. He was very smart and responsive -- especially when food was involved. He was also very destructive, never outgrowing a puppy's need to chew. He earned his alias, Chainsaw, by destroying furniture, shoes, and venetian blinds.

Logan stayed home from school today to be with Cinder until the end. We both wept all morning. Logan held him at the vet's while he went to sleep and then again after he was gone. He wants to keep his ashes. I tried to stay out of the way as much as possible and let him deal with it as he needed to. I hope it was the right thing to do.

Ben's way of coping is vastly different, but in a way that is very predictable, at least to me. It was critical to him to keep to his routine, so he went to school this morning after shedding some tears. We'll talk more about it when he gets home this evening.

Oh how I pray they really understand why this had to be. It wasn't just the destruction and biting. He was also a barker to the point that the neighbors complained and even considered selling their homes! He also used the garage as his personal latrine and it has become unbearable and very difficult to clean -- at first he would use puddle pads placed in an oil drip pan, but his range increased daily, creating an awful mess. We couldn't let him go outside because of the barking problem.

But, we all loved him and today there is a hole in each of our hearts. I'm sorry Ben and Logan. I wish he could have had a happier ending.

1 comment:

  1. I'm so sorry for all of you. I'm still not over Cookie! ;(
    Don't feel guilty, Melody. You did what you had to do to keep the kids safe. I hope your hand is okay.

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